NHA-8 provides housing needs for former rebels, disaster victims and uniformed men in EV

From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 11, 2020): NHA-8 provides housing needs for former rebels, disaster victims and uniformed men in EV (By Gemma T. Tabao)

TACLOABN CITY, August 11 (PIA) -- The National Housing Authority (NHA), as mandated, has assisted the housing needs of the former rebels, disaster victims and men in uniform in the Eastern Visayas region.

This was learned from NHA District Manager Marilyn Lauzon, during the Suruswerte ha PIA radio program hosted by Regional Director Olive Tiu of the Philippine Information Agency 8.

“With the government’s program to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), we are set to provide housing units for some rebel returnees, particularly in San Isidro, Leyte, the first of a kind project in coordination with the Provincial Government of Leyte,” Manager Lauzon said.

“In this project, Leyte Province has the lot in San Isidro, Leyte which was donated to the former rebels through the ECLIP program. Said LGU shall be responsible for the construction of the housing units, however, funds will come from the NHA. The request is already at the national level, for the 489 housing units at 450,000 per unit,” Lauzon added.

Lauzon also said the housing units will be constructed at the Peace and Prosperity Village at Daja Dako in San Isidro, Leyte, which is expected to become a new community of the former rebels and farmers who do not have houses yet.

Per NHA, there were also other areas that sought the help of NHA like in Samar, where orientation has already been conducted to those who returned to the folds of the law, and have signified their intention to join the “Balik Pamilya” program.

“We have three housing options for our former rebels. First is for them to avail of the AFP-PNP Housing Project. Another one is for those who have existing houses but do not own the lot, so the government will buy the lot and construct the house of which cost also amounts to P450,000. The last option is house repair for those who already have the house and lot,” Lauzon added.

During the Suruswerte program, Lauzon also informed about their housing program for the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Relative to this, housing units are being offered to the families of men in uniform who were slain and wounded in action.

For the Emergency Housing Assistance Program, the NHA official mentioned some housing projects for the victims of natural and man-made calamities, like the Pope Francis Village of which beneficiaries were Typhoon Yolanda victims

“In Ormoc City, we have also provided some 1,000 housing units, while 211 units were turned-over too in Kananga, Leyte, the areas hit by the earthquake sometime in 2016,” Lauzon said.

Just recently, NHA has turned over through Deed of Donation and Deed of Acceptance, some 1,419 completed housing projects for Typhoon Yolanda survivors. This was known as as Bagonng Pag-asa Subdivision Phases 1 and 2 located in Barangay Margen in Ormoc City. The turn-over ceremony was virtually witnessed by no less than the Cabinet Secretary Carlo Nograles, who is the Chairman of the Inter-agency Task Force for the Unified Implementation and Monitoring of Rehabilitation and Recovery Projects and Programs in the Yolanda-affected Areas.

The office further disclosed that on August 25, they are set to turn-over to the City Government of Tacloban some five subdivisions namely: North Hill Arbours Phases 1 and 2, St. Francis Village Phase 1 and 2, and Guadalupe Heights Phase 3.

“Other virtual turnovers are tentatively scheduled also this August in Baybay, Leyte and Basey, Samar,” Lauzon said. (LDL/GTT/PIA-Leyte)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1050072

EOD team disposes of IED found at Cotabato City dumpsite

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 11, 2020): EOD team disposes of IED found at Cotabato City dumpsite (By Noel Punzalan)



SEALED OFF. Policemen cordon the dumpsite area in Barangay Poblacion 9, Cotabato City on Monday evening (Aug. 10, 2020) following the discovery of an improvised explosive device by scavengers in one of the mounds of garbage. Members of the police’s explosive ordnance disposal unit used a “blast on-site” course of action to rid of the bomb rigged from C4 components. (Photo courtesy of DXMY Cotabato)

COTABATO CITY – Police bomb disposal experts disposed on Monday evening an improvised explosive device (IED) found by scavengers at the city dumpsite in Barangay Poblacion 9.

Col. Richard Fiesta, city police director, said the IED that was found inside a bag and wrapped with a shirt had C-4 explosive components sans a battery power source and initiator.

“The bomb’s C-4 component has wires attached to it and that is what made it unstable,” he told reporters here in an interview on Tuesday.

He said the police’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team had to use a “blast on-site” procedure to dispose of the bomb.

Barangay Poblacion 9 chairman Jonas Mohammad said scavengers were rummaging for plastic, tin, and metal stuff at the dump when they stumbled upon the bag with the IED inside.

He said the police immediately sealed off the area as garbage-carrying trucks were also temporarily halted from proceeding to the area.

“It was just fortunate that no one was injured due to the vigilance of the scavengers,” Mohammad said.

Fiesta said that despite the incident, they have monitored no immediate threats to the city from lawless groups.

He said they are reviewing closed-circuit television cameras installed near the dumpsite to determine as to what garbage trucks or private vehicles entered the area that day.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1111841

NPA rebels killed 7 civilians in Negros since June: Army

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 11, 2020): NPA rebels killed 7 civilians in Negros since June: Army (By Nanette Guadalquiver)



TOP RIGHTS VIOLATOR. Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade, said the killings of civilians clearly show that the New People's Army is the top human rights violator in Negros Island. As of Tuesday (Aug. 11, 2020), a list provided by the military showed that in June alone, three were killed in Negros Occidental while four were murdered by the NPA in Negros Oriental. (PNA-Bacolod file photo)

Atrocities perpetrated by the New People’s Army (NPA) in recent months have claimed the lives of at least seven Negrense civilians, the Philippine Army has said.

As of Tuesday, a list provided by the military showed that in June alone, three were killed in Negros Occidental while four were also murdered by the NPA in Negros Oriental. The eighth victim was a soldier.

Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, said these killings clearly show the communist-terrorist group is the top human rights violator in Negros Island.

“The killing of innocent civilians is barbaric, merciless, and inexcusable. This reflects the true face of the NPA as terrorists,” Pasaporte added.

The victims in Negros Occidental were identified as farmer Gilbert Garlit, gunned down in Sitio Pinanlagan, Barangay Carol-an, Kabankalan City on July 25.

Two farmers from neighboring Himamaylan City were also shot dead -- Randy Rociano in Sitio Asaran, Barangay Buenavista on July 12; and Joelito Hilacio in Sitio Lunoy, Barangay Carabalan on June 13.

In Negros Oriental, killed were Deopanis Pacunla and Eldeson Martonillas in Barangay Luz, as well as swine dealers Jimmer Fundador and Romeo Dungoan in Sitio Mandi-e, Barangay Magsaysay, all in Guihulngan City.

Cpl. Mark Anthony Quiocson, a soldier front-liner, was also gunned down in Barangay Luz on July 1.

Pasaporte said the killings sparked outrage and condemnation from officials in Guihulngan but still, the NPA justified their atrocities with fabricated lies and instead put the blame on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Your Army in Negros, at all times, adheres to the constitutional rights of each individual. Enough of the sweet-coated propaganda, lies, and deceptions of the NPA and the so-called progressive groups masquerading as rights group,” he added.

Pasaporte also said the NPA continues to commit a blatant violation of the Rule of Law, the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), and now the Anti-Terrorism Law.

“It’s time to move on from communist propaganda to reality. Enough of the killings and exploitation of the people,” Pasaporte added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1111886

151 SAP troops leave Cebu City after helping in Covid-19 response

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 11, 2020): 151 SAP troops leave Cebu City after helping in Covid-19 response (By Carlo Lorenciana_



SEND-OFF. After a month and half of staying in Cebu City to help augment the security force here in implementing health protocols as part of the Covid-19 response, some 151 members of the Special Action Force gathered in a send-off ceremony on Tuesday Aug. 11, 2020, before flying back to their headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella thanked the SAF members for their services. (Screenshot of PRO-7 FB live)

Some 151 members of the Special Action Force (SAF), who were sent to help in the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) response here, are going back to the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City on Tuesday.

The SAP troops gathered at the Barangay Tisa National High School on Tuesday morning for a send-off ceremony after more than a month of their assignment in the city.

The event was attended by top officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force including Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and retired general Mel Feliciano, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella and Police Regional Office-Central Visayas director Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro.

In his speech, Ferro said the ceremony also highlights the success in lowering the Covid-19 cases in the city with the help of the SAP force.

He said that SAP troops were able to help in disciplining the public to follow the minimum health standards.

Despite the risks in their assignment here starting on July 27, Ferro said none of the 151 men tested positive for the virus.

“As an elite force, they have fought a battle in a different field,” he said.

He added that the troops succeeded both in fulfilling their mission and in protecting themselves despite being assigned to highly infected areas.

Labella, meanwhile, thanked the SAF members for their services.

“The gesture that you have extended to us will never be forgotten by the people of Cebu City for the rest of their lives,” the mayor said.

Cimatu, IATF’s overseer for Cebu, also commended the SAP men, saying keeping themselves free of the virus throughout their stay is as important as their mission to implement the protocols.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1111944

Missile-frigate BRP Antonio Luna arriving next year

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 11, 2020): Missile-frigate BRP Antonio Luna arriving next year (By Priam Nepomuceno)



Philippine Navy chief, Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo. (File photo) 

Due to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), the sister ship of missile-frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), is expected to be delivered by January or February next year.

"We are expecting FF-151 January or February 2021, still ahead of the delivery date per contract, which is March 2021," said Philippine Navy (PN) chief, Vice Adm. Giovnni Carlo Bacordo, in a message to the Philippine News Agency Monday afternoon.

Earlier, the PN said the delivery for the country's second missile-frigate is projected for October 2020 but this was pushed back to early next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"If not for this Covid-19 pandemic, the second frigate (FF-151) should have been delivered by October this year but because of this pandemic, it will be moved to the first quarter of Calendar Year 2021," Bacordo earlier said in an online forum.

BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) was launched on November 8, 2019 at the Ulsan facility of South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Its keel-laying on May 23, 2019 coincided with the launch of BRP Jose Rizal.

The contract for the BRP Jose Rizal and the BRP Antonio Luna was placed at PHP16 billion with another PHP2 billion for weapon systems and munitions.

These ships are capable of conducting anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and electronic warfare (EW) operations.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1111833

Don’t blame gov’t for Echanis slay, Palace to Sison

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 11, 2020): Don’t blame gov’t for Echanis slay, Palace to Sison (By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)



Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo)

President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration has no hand in the murder of National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Randall Echanis, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a virtual press conference in Davao City, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the government should not be blamed for the death of Echanis.

Roque issued the statement a day after Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria “Joma” Sison blamed Duterte and the President’s “gang of butchers” for the killing of Echanis.
Roque told Sison to await the results of the investigation before making conclusions.

“Iniimbestigahan po iyan ng ating kapulisan. Huwag sana pong mabilis magbintang sa gobyerno dahil ang CPP-NPA (New People’s Army), nagkaroon din naman po sila ng karanasan na sila-sila nagpapatayan (Police are investigating. Do not blame the government because members of the CPP-NPA also has a history of killing each other),” he said.

Echanis and his unidentified neighbor were killed in Novaliches, Quezon City early Monday morning when police forces allegedly raided the house of the long-time NDF consultant, according to a statement released by leftist group Anakpawis.

Anakpawis said Echanis was reportedly “stabbed by suspected state forces inside his rented place in the wee hours of the morning.”

Apart from being an NDF consultant, Echanis served as chair of Anakpawis and deputy secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.

Echanis is the third NDF consultant killed in the country after Sotero Llamas in 2006 and Randy Malayao in 2019.

In a statement issued Monday, Sison said “Duterte and his gang of butchers are truly monstrous for murdering the unarmed Randall and his neighbor.”

Sison added that social activists were left with no choice but intensify their struggle against the “tyrant, butcher and plunderer Duterte” following the death of Echanis.

When sought for a reaction, Roque refused to comment further on Sison’s remarks against Duterte government.

“Hindi ko na po sasagutin iyan dahil (I would no longer answer that because) that would be to dignify statements made by a worldwide notorious terrorist named Joma Sison,” Roque said.

The CPP-NPA has been branded as a terror organization by the Philippines, United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

In May, Duterte said his administration is ready to fight the CPP-NPA and also willing to “die for the country.”

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1111867

Coastal monitoring stations help detect Chinese vessels: Navy

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 11, 2020): Coastal monitoring stations help detect Chinese vessels: Navy (By Priam Nepomuceno)

Through its littoral monitoring stations, the Philippine Navy (PN) can now monitor the country's vast territorial waters even without having naval ships on site.

This was said Tuesday by PN chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo when asked by reporters on how the Navy managed to detect and monitor the activities of two Chinese survey ships off Recto Bank sometime last week.

"They were detected by our littoral monitoring stations, these have software and applications that can monitor beyond the horizon even if they cannot monitor it from (the) site," Bacordo said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Based on reports, one of two Chinese survey ships has already left and was replaced with another one.

Asked on whether there are plans to accost the ships off Recto Bank, Bacordo said this is the call of the operational commander which has jurisdiction over the area.

Recto Bank is under the jurisdiction of Naval Forces West.

"That is the operational commander's call, you have to base it on the availability of vessels, the current disposition of vessels or aircraft, and their present mission also," Bacordo said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1111858

DOJ forms task force to probe NDF consultant’s death

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 11, 2020): DOJ forms task force to probe NDF consultant’s death (By Benjamin Pulta)



Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. (File photo)

The government will launch a formal investigation into the death of National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Randy Echanis, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday.

"Upon the assumption that the subject was indeed peasant leader Echanis, I have directed the AO (Administrative Order) 35 task force on EJK (extrajudicial killings) to form a special investigating team to look into the incident," Guevarra said in a message to reporters.

Guevarra, however, said they will wait for the family's confirmation that the victim was Echanis, given the confusion on his identity.

"It is necessary to confirm the identity of the victim before the task force on EJK starts its investigation of the incident. AO 35 covers the summary killings of persons on account of their advocacies, such as labor and peasant leaders, but not common crimes involving ordinary persons," Guevarra added.

Echanis and an unidentified neighbor were found dead inside a rented house in Novaliches, Quezon City early Monday.

Echanis was a consultant of the NDF, chair of the progressive group Anakpawis, and also served as deputy secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.

He is the third NDF consultant killed in the country after Sotero Llamas in 2006 and Randy Malayao in 2019.

He participated in the 2016-2017 peace talks between the Duterte administration and the communist movement.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1111865

Delivery of future BRP Antonio Luna delayed due to pandemic — Navy chief

From the Manila Bulletin (Aug 10, 2020): Delivery of future BRP Antonio Luna delayed due to pandemic — Navy chief (By Martin Sadongdong)

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has forced the delay of the delivery of the Philippine Navy’s (PN) second brand new frigate, the future BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151).

In a virtual briefing on Monday, Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, PN Flag Officer in Command, said the future BRP Antonio Luna was supposed to be delivered in October 2020 but travel restrictions and other concerns due to the health crisis prompted the parties involved to move it to the first quarter of 2021.

Philippine Navy (PN) Chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo
(Philippine Navy / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

“We are expecting the delivery of the second frigate, the BRP Antonio Luna, in the first quarter of calendar year 2021. If not for this COVID-19 pandemic, the second frigate should have been delivered October of this year,” he said.

The future BRP Antonio Luna is the sister ship of the BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) which was delivered by South Korean ship maker Hyundai Heavy Industries, Inc. in May 2020.

Aside from the second frigate, other acquisitions that have been impacted by the pandemic include the light armored systems upgrade and acquisition of squad rocket launcher light of the Philippine Marine Corps.

The delivery of the first unit of eight fast attack interdiction craft missiles from Israel was also delayed, Bacordo said.

A small but agile warship, the first unit of the fast attack craft was originally scheduled to be delivered in December 2022 but has been moved to the first quarter of 2021.

The acquisition of two landing docks, which is currently at the post qualification stage, was also temporarily suspended by the Navy. These strategic sealift vessels are intended to act as reinforcements to the two Tarlac-class landing docks, the BRP Tarlac and BRP Davao del Sur.

“We have other projects which took the backstage because of this COVID-19 pandemic,” Bacordo said, referring to the purchase projects for its shore-based anti-ship missile system, shore-based air defense missile system, and the country’s first ever submarine.

“While [they have] been approved by the President, it may be deferred until the national emergency has ceased,” he explained.

Last month, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the Department of National Defense took a P19.3-billion budget cut to fund the government’s COVID-19 response efforts.

Of these, about P9.4 billion were originally set for the second horizon of the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Bacordo projected that the pandemic will delay more acquisition projects under the modernization program by one-and-a-half to two years.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/08/10/delivery-of-future-brp-antonio-luna-delayed-due-to-pandemic-navy-chief/

Bulatlat: Police deny families right to claim remains of 3 alleged NPA fighters

Posted to the pro-CPP/NPA/NDF online propaganda publication Bulatlat (Aug 10, 2020): Police deny families right to claim remains of 3 alleged NPA fighters (By Justin Umali)

Photo from Karapatan-Timog Katagalugan

“Instead of mourning for our loved ones, we feel spiteful at the police officers who are denying the remains of our loved ones.”

SANTA ROSA, Laguna – Elements of the Philippine National Police have taken the remains of three suspected members of the revolutionary New People’s Army to Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, Laguna, and are “shrugging off all requests by their families” to claim them, according to human rights group Karapatan Southern Tagalog.

On August 4, Deoscorro Cello, Rey Masinas, and Alex Perdiguerra were killed in an armed encounter in barangay San Antonio, Kalayaan, Laguna.

The families were informed that the remains were interred at Green Lawn Memorial Services in Calamba, August 5. Reveleen Cello, Deoscoro’s daughter, sought the assistance of Karapatan ST in retrieving the remains – the group arrived at Green Lawn on August 6.

When they arrived, no remains were found.

“The funeral home said that the police took the bodies again to bury them,” Reveleen said.

Green Lawn staff also informed them that police officers had the three remains go under autopsy, without the consent of any family member or relative.

According to Karapatan ST, the police threatened the attendants at Green Lawn to give them the remains of the three individuals, despite protests that Cello’s relatives were on the way. They assert that police cannot simply “take somebody’s remains without the express permission of family members, especially after an autopsy was done.”

“Are these people policemen or undertakers?” asked Kyle Salgado, Karapatan ST spokesperson. “Is Camp Vicente Lim now a cemetery?”

Reveleen and the humanitarian team from Karapatan ST went to Camp Vicente Lim to claim the remains. They were delayed for three hours before a man in civilian clothes claiming to be from the PNP Regional Mobile Force Battalion 4A spoke with them to confirm that Cello’s remains were inside the camp, along with Masinas’ and Perdiguerra’s.

Photo from Karapatan-Timog Katagalugan

“Instead of mourning for our loved ones, we feel spiteful at the police officers who are denying the remains of our loved ones,” said Reveleen. “We are seeking justice, not only for the brutality that the police inflicted upon them, but also for the continuing denial of justice.”

Karapatan ST stressed that “NPA or not, everybody has the right to a decent burial.” The group is currently calling on the Commission on Human Rights and other groups to investigate the matter.

The group also alleged that the reason why Cello’s remains are being held is because of a police assertion that he was a high-ranking officer in the NPA’s Melito Glor Command, with a P3.8 million bounty above his head.

Not new under Duterte

Karapatan ST stressed that this wasn’t a new ‘modus operandi’ for the PNP. Last February 5, the remains of two peasant activists, Emerito Pinza and Romy Candor, were found hastily buried under false names in a cemetery in Calamba. Like Cello, Masinas, and Pedriguerra, they were also killed by police officers in Kalayaan, Laguna.

The PNP insisted that Pinza and Candor were members of the NPA. They also released a statement that they assisted family members and relatives in burying them.

Karapatan ST debunked the statement, with Pinza’s wife flat-out stating that she had not seen her husband’s remains.

The truth came out when the remains of the two were found in mislabeled graves in a local Calamba cemetery.

Aside from the three individuals, the 2nd Infantry Division of the AFP also reported an alleged encounter in Kalayaan, during the late hours of April 7. Karapatan ST is also currently looking into the facts of the matter.

Karapatan ST insisted that these were violations of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

CARHRIHL is an agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines which guarantees basic rights for combatants and non-combatants on both sides.

Under CARHRIHL, the right to decent burial is guaranteed.

https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/08/09/police-deny-families-right-to-claim-remains-of-3-alleged-npa-fighters/

Bulatlat: Police detain civilians after killing suspected NPA hors de combat

Posted to the pro-CPP/NPA/NDF online propaganda publication Bulatlat (Aug 10, 2020): Police detain civilians after killing suspected NPA hors de combat (By Justin Umali)

Under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Caraig’s rights as hors de combat were violated.

SANTA ROSA, Laguna – Combined elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police killed an injured man alleged to be a member of the revolutionary New People’s Army in sitio Boho, barangay San Antonio, Kalayaan, Laguna before detaining civilians and taking them to an undisclosed location, August 7.

According to eyewitness accounts given to human rights watchdog Karapatan Southern Tagalog, Mario Caraig was tending to an injury in the Asedillo residence when police raided the house and killed him. After the encounter, police arrested the three members of the Asedillo household – Virgilio Asedillio; his daughter Chloe, two months pregnant; and Chloe’s husband, who was unidentified, for “harboring a criminal.”

The raid occurred at approximately 11:10 in the evening. No formal charges were filed against the Asedillo family.

An official statement from the AFP’s 2nd Infantry Division asserted that Caraig was a high-ranking member of the NPA. He was reportedly issued an arrest warrant for multiple counts of murder and fought back.

Karapatan ST disputed this, saying that eyewitness accounts clearly stated that Caraig was wounded in the arm and was in no condition to fight back, making him hors de combat.

Karapatan ST slammed the arrests of the Asedillo family, calling it a clear case of “illegal detention.” They also stated that under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Caraig’s rights as hors de combat were violated.

Under Part IV, Article 4 of CARHRIHL, persons considered hors de combat are “protected in all circumstances and treated humanely.” CARHRIHL also stipulates the wounded combatants must be collected and cared for by the “party in the armed conflict which has taken them in its custody or responsibility.”

CARHRIHL is a joint agreement signed by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in 1998 which guarantees basic rights for combatants and non-combatants on both sides of the armed conflict.

Karapatan ST is currently investigating the whereabouts of the Asedillo family.

The encounter occurred barely three days after police officers shot and killed Dioscoro Cello, Rey Masinas, and Alex Perdeguera in the same barangay. Their remains are currently in Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, Laguna. Police officers have so far refused to entertain any request from family members to claim the remains.

https://www.bulatlat.com/2020/08/10/police-detain-civilians-after-killing-suspected-npa-hors-de-combat/

Still no word from hostage-takers on abducted Surigao police officer

From the Manila Bulletin (Aug 10, 2020): Still no word from hostage-takers on abducted Surigao police officer (By Mike Crismundo)

CAMP COL. RAFAEL C. RODRIGUEZ, Butuan City – Authorities here have yet to receive any information from the abductors of a police intelligence officer in a Surigao del Norte town.

“By this time, still no word has been received from the abductors of P/Staff Sgt. Restie Dandan,” said Regional Public Information Office (RPIO) Caraga Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) chief Maj. Renel E. Serrano.

He said that, as of Sunday afternoon, there was still no communication from the abductors to any of Staff Sgt. Restie Dandan’s family members, or his fellow police officers at the Sison Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Sison town, Surigao del Norte province.

A Special Task Investigation Team of Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (PPO) and Sison Municipal Police Station (MPS) are currently coordinating with the provincial and municipal crisis committees on the search and rescue operations of the abducted Sison MPS intelligence officer.

“Our field team is still looking possible means to rescue the police officer, who was abducted since July 31, 2020,” said the RPIO chief, in an interview with The Manila Bulletin late Sunday afternoon.

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) has yet to own up to Dandan’s abduction, no other armed group operated in Sison except communist rebels, according to Serrano.

Dandan was driving a motorcycle on his way to work when flagged down by unidentified number of armed men, believed to be NPAs, around 8:45 a.m. on July 31 along the national highway in Barangay San Isidro in Sison, initial police report said.

It was gathered that the family of Dandan was already very worried about the safety of the police officer.

Meanwhile, Surigao del Norte Gov. Atty. Francisco T. Matugas, who immediately mobilized the provincial crisis committee and provincial peace and order council after the reported abduction incident, also told The Manila Bulletin that the two committees already met with the members of Sison municipal crisis committee, led by Mayor Karissa Paronio, for possible negotiations with the abductors of the police officer.

“Priority of our peace-keeping team on the ground is the safe release of the victim,” said the provincial chief executive as he appealed to the hostage-takers to release the police officer unharmed.

In a phone interview last week, Matugas told The Manila Bulletin that the crisis committees, both province and municipality were doing everything necessary to bring the police officer home, unharmed, alive and safe.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/08/10/still-no-word-from-hostage-takers-on-abducted-surigao-police-officer/

8 NPA members in Antique surrender

From Panay News (Aug 10, 2020): 8 NPA members in Antique surrender

Eight members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Antique surrender to the government on Aug. 7. Eleven of their comrades in the province also returned to the government’s fold last June. PROVINCE OF ANTIQUE

SAN JOSE, Antique – Eight members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in this province surrendered to government forces.

Alias “Joy”, the only woman in the group of surrenderers presented to Gov. Rhodora Cadiao on Aug. 7, said she lived the life of a rebel for 19 years.

“I was convinced to join the CPP-NPA thinking that its idealism could be a way for me to help address the problem of poverty,” she said.

“I finally decided to surrender because I realized that there was no development in our armed struggle and I want to take care of my family now,” she added.

San Jose chief of police Major Benjo Clarite said the eight rebels were convinced to surrender because of the government’s End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) program.

“Through the ELCAC, there is a convergence of the different local and national government agencies services being brought to the communities which they would like to avail themselves of,” he stressed.

Clarite said the provincial government gave the former NPA members financial aid but did not specify the amount.

The Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority are willing to help the surrenderers acquire new skills and livelihood, he added.

The Police Regional Intelligence Unit and the Philippine Army 61st Infantry Battalion under the 3rd Infantry Division were also credited for the peaceful surrender of the rebels.

Clarite said this batch of surrenderers came after 11 CPP-NPA members yielded last June 23.

“We hope that more rebels would be convinced to give up their arms after the surrender of their comrades,” he added.

https://www.panaynews.net/8-npa-members-in-antique-surrender/

Philippines: Threats Of Violent Extremism And Terrorism Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic – Analysis

Posted to the Eurasia Review (Aug 10, 2020): Philippines: Threats Of Violent Extremism And Terrorism Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic – Analysis (By By Rommel C. Banlaoi/PIPVTR)

The world at present faces two deadly pandemics: COVID-19 pandemics and the pandemics of terrorism. Both carry noxious viruses that are contagious, lethal, and virulent.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist threats worldwide continue unabated. In fact, international terrorist groups are taking advantage of the pandemic to propagandize, recruit and mount violent attacks. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), for example, is currently experiencing a rapid resuscitation as the pandemic is providing the group the needed oxygen to recover. The Philippines is one of the countries most affected by the twin threats of terrorism and COVID-19 pandemic.

Terror Threats Persist Worldwide During the Pandemic

According to the Country Reports on Terrorism published by the Bureau of Counterterrorism of the US State Department in June 2020, dangerous terrorist threats persisted around the world.[1] Though ISIS already lost some of its key leaders and major territories as a result of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, the group has effectively adapted “to continue the fight from its affiliates around the globe and by inspiring followers to commit attacks”.[2]

While the whole world is preoccupied overcoming the terrifying onslaught of COVID-19, ISIS is mounting a global resurgence.[3] ISIS is exploiting the pandemic to ramp up attacks in areas where they still maintain significant followers beyond Iraq and Syria. ISIS even regards the coronavirus as the “soldier of Allah” that is part of the global jihad against the infidels.

Thus, the world at present faces two deadly pandemics: COVID-19 pandemics and the pandemics of terrorism. Both carry noxious viruses that are contagious, lethal, and virulent. Until now, we are still in search of an effective vaccine to halt these viruses from spreading fear and wreaking havoc to the whole of humanity.

The Philippines: COVID-19 Hotspot and Epicenter of Terror Threats in Southeast Asia

The Philippines is not spared from the threats of these twin pandemics. The Philippines has become the COVID-19 hotspot in Southeast Asia with close to 130,000 confirmed cases to date. The Philippines has almost doubled the infection rate in China, the ground zero of infections. The COVID-19 pandemic is providing ISIS followers in the Philippines the conducive environment to spread violent extremism and to sow terror while taking advantage of law enforcement authorities preoccupied in implementing quarantine measures to contain the spread of the disease.

Since March 2020, ISIS followers in the Philippines have conducted around 700 violent attacks amidst the pandemic based on military intelligence reports. From 18 April to 12 June 2020 alone, at the height of the first wave of the pandemic, the Philippine National Police (PNP) recorded 588 violent activities of ISIS followers in the country. 

Source: Philippine National Police, July 2020

The most devastating attack, so far, was on 17 April 2020 when the ASG killed eleven and wounded 14 soldiers of the Philippine Army in a firefight in Patikul, Sulu.[4] The ASG ambushed the Philippine soldiers while they were conducting their hot pursuit operations against followers of Radullan Sahiron and Hatib Sawadjaan, two top ASG leaders in Sulu.[5]

The Philippines has, therefore, become the epicenter of ISIS terror threat in Southeast Asia. The Global Terrorism Index listed the Philippines as the only country in Southeast Asia belonging to the top-10 countries in the world most impacted by terrorism in its report in 2019.[6] It is very likely for the Philippines to be listed again as one of the countries most impacted by terrorism in 2020 with the persistence of terrorist activities in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

Rise of Suicide Terrorism in the Philippines

The face of terrorism in the Philippines has become more perilous with the rise of suicide terrorism. Three years after the Marawi siege, the Philippines suffered the following suicide terrorist attacks, so far:

• Lamitan City suicide bombing involving a German national with a Moroccan descent (31 July 2018)
• Jolo Cathedral suicide bombing involving Indonesian couple (27 January 2019)
• Indanan, Sulu suicide bombing involving a Filipino (28 June 2019)
• Indanan, Sulu female suicide bombing involving an Egyptian national (8 September 2019)

On 5 November 2019, the Philippine military foiled an attempted suicide bombing in Sulu when troops killed in action two Egyptian nationals in Jolo. The Philippine police, on the other hand, foiled another planned suicide terrorist attack in Metro Manila when agents killed four operatives of the Abu Sayyaf Group in their safe house in Parañaque City on 26 June 2020. The shooting incident involving military and police operatives in Jolo on 29 June 2020 was related to a military mission to run after female suicide bombers.

The rise of suicide terrorism in the Philippines arises from the contagious effect of the ideology of violent extremism propagated by ISIS foreign terrorist fighters in the country. ISIS foreign terrorist fighters capitalize on local grievances, historical animosities, and feeling of injustices to propagate violent extremism in the Philippines, particularly in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao. Violent extremism is the ideology that justifies acts of terrorism in the Philippines.

Where are the Threats of Violent Extremism andTerrorism in the Philippines Coming From?

During the pandemic, there are at least six active pro-ISIS terrorist groups operating in the Philippines:[8] the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the Turaipe Group of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the Abu Zacaria Group (AZG), the Nilong Group, the Salahuddin Group, and Suyuful Khilafa Fi-Luzon. All these groups belong to an umbrella organization described by the Philippine military as Daula Islamiya Philippines (DI-P) or Islamic State Philippines (ISP), which is the main base of the ISIS East Asia Wilaya or the Islamic State East Asia (ISEA) more known by followers as Wilayah Sharq Asia. Supporting these groups are foreign terrorist fighters coming largely from Indonesia and Malaysia but with significant personalities coming also from the Arab world, North Africa and Europe.

Source: PIPVTR, August 2020

Abu Sayyaf Group

There are three known major factions of the ASG. Two of these factions are in Sulu. One is headed by Hatib Sawadjaan while the other one is headed by Radullan Sahiron.

Sawadjaan is a pro-ISIS leader known to be the de-facto Amir of DI-P or Daula Islamiya Alfalabin.[9] He pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2014. The Philippine military calls his group as Daula Islamiya Sawadjaan Group (DI-WG) with around 300 regular armed followers operating in Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and even Sabah. DI-SG is responsible for a series of suicide bombings in Sulu and kidnapping activities in Sabah.

Sahiron is not a pro-ISIS leader. He used to be affiliated with Al-Qaeda being one of the original founders of the ASG then under the leadership of Abdurajak Janjalani. Sahiron continues to be in the list of most wanted terrorists by the US State Department. But Sahiron slows down his violent activities during the rise of ISIS having been overshadowed by his erstwhile lieutenant, the late Isnilon Hapilon who became the leader of Daula Islamiya Wilayatul Mashriq (Islamic State Province in East Asia) responsible for the 2017 Marawi Siege. Sahiron continues to have around 50 armed followers operating mainly in his little kingdom in Patikul, Sulu.

Sahiron developed an adversarial attitude towards ISIS having suffered near-death experiences with Al-Qaeda operatives in Mindanao. Thus, he refused to pledge allegiance to ISIS.[10]

Another faction of the ASG is based in Basilan now headed by Furuji Indama who pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2014. He is a pro-ISIS leader who used to be the number two man of Hapilon who pledged allegiance to ISIS twice: in 2014 and 2016.

Indama has around 20 regular armed followers in Basilan with support network operating in Zamboanga City and Zamboanga Peninsula, particularly in Zamboanga Sibugay. Being a pro-ISIS leader, Indama also provides tactical support to the activities of Sawadjaan.

Turaipe Group

The Turaipe Group refers to the faction of the BIFF headed by by Esmael Abdulmalik (Alias Commander Turaipe/Turaifie). He pledged allegiance to IS in April 2017 just a month before the Marawi Siege. Commander Turaipe formed his own pro-IS group called Jama’ahtul Mujahirin Wal Ansar (JMWA) based largely in Datu Salibo town of Maguindanao.[11]

After the Marawi Siege, Commander Turaipe continued his armed activities in the provinces of Maguindanao and North Cotabato through ambuscades, roadside bombings, liquidations, and harassments on behalf of ISIS. Commander Turaipe even renamed his group as Daulah Islamiya Maguindanaw (DIM) or the Islamic State of Maguindanao, a pro-ISIS group responsible for most of the violent attacks in Maguindanao three years after the Marawi siege. The military calls his group as DI-Turaipe Group with more than 80 armed followers.

Zacaria Group

The Zacaria Group refers to remnants of the Maute Group. It is presently led by Commander Ker Mimbantas who is also known as Commander Zacaria or Commander Omar. He was one of the officers of the Maute Group, also known as the Daula Islamiya Ranao or the Islamic State of Lanao.

Commander Zacaria has around 40 armed followers operating mostly in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City. He used to work with the Maute brothers (Abdullah and Omarkayam) and Abu Dar. When these leaders died, he rose to prominence being the nephew of the late Alim Abdul Azis Mimbantas, the former Vice Chairman for Military Affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The military calls the Zacaria Group as the Daula Islamiya Zacaria Group (DI-ZG).

Nilong Group

The Nilong Group represents the remnants of the Ansar Khilafa Philippines (AKP) then led by Mohammad Jaafar Maguid more known as Commander Tokboy. The group is being led by a certain Jeoffrey Nilong, alias Commander Momoy believed to be holding his makeshift camp in Polomolok, South Cotabato. The military calls this shadowy group as Daula Islamiya Nilong Group (DI-NG) with only around 10 followers operating mainly in the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos of the Southern Philippines. The group was responsible for the bombing in General Santos in September 2018.[12]

Salahuddin Group

The Salahuddin Group is being led by Hassan Salahuddin, the first leader who pledged allegiance to the new ISIS Caliph, Al-Qurashi, on 11 November 2019. Salahuddin used to be a member of the Al Khobar Group (AKG), the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the MILF in the 1990s. The AKG was responsible for a series of extortion activities in Mindanao cities of Tacurong, Kidapawan, Koronadal and General Santos using skills in bomb making.

Salahuddin developed his skills in bomb making through his mentors, Basit Usman and Marwan (Zulkipli bin Hir) who were targets of Mamasapano clash on 25 January 2015. When Basit Usman organized the Al Khilafa Sarangani in 2012, Salahuddin joined him to conduct training on bomb making with pro-ISIS followers in Central Mindanao. When Basit Usman died on 3 May 2015 in a military encounter, Salahuddin joined the BIFF-Turaipe Group in order to establish the Daula Islamiya Maguindanao.

With the support of BIFF-Turaipe Group, Salahuddin masterminded the Isulan, Sultan Kudarat bombings on 28 August 2018 and 2 September 2018. DI-SG also coddles foreign terrorist fighters through the assistance of a long-time friend, Mauwiya, a Singaporean follower of Jemaah Islamiya. Mauwiya has been operating in Central Mindanao since the 1990s.

The military calls the Salahuddin Group as Daula Islamiya Salahuddin Group (DI-SG) with around 10 followers trained in bomb making. The group is operating mainly in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces.

Suyuful Khilafa Fi Luzon

The Suyuful Khilafa Fi Luzon (SKFL) or the Soldiers of the Caliphate in Luzon operates mainly in Luzon, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR), Ilocos Region and Bicol Region. Composed mostly of Muslim converts, the SKFL evolved from Jamal Al Tawhid Wal Jihad (JTJ) Philippines whose members pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2014. Members of JTJ Philippines were followers of Abu Musab Al Zarqawi who founded the JTJ in Iraq that became known as the Al-Qaeda in Iraq. After the death of Osama bin Laden, Al Zargawi reorganized the JTJ as the Islamic State in Iraq, the forerunner of the present day ISIS.

The SKFL cooperates with pro-ISIS groups operating in the NCR. The SKFL was responsible for several bomb threats and foiled bombing activities in Metro Manila during the Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in November 2017 and the Summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in November 2016 as well as the visit to Manila of Pope Francis in January 2015. The SKFL was also responsible for several bomb threats in Northern Luzon in November 2019 threatening to attack Catholic churches.[13]

Though based in Luzon, the SKFL also operates in Southern Visayas and Northern Mindanao by penetrating Muslim converts or Balik Islam communities in these areas. However, the military only identifies more than ten active operatives of the SKFL pursuing violent activities.

Foreign Terrorist Fighters

Foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) operating in the Philippines are foreign operatives of ISIS planning and conducting violent activities in the country, particularly in Mindanao. Intelligence estimates in 2018 indicated close to 100 pro-IS FTFs in the Philippines.[14] But intelligence estimates at the end of 2019 downgraded the figure to 59 “watch-listed” and 7 under hot-pursuit FTFs.[15] During the Marawi liberation; the AFP identified 32 dead bodies of FTFs from the ground zero.[16]

Most FTFs coming to the Philippines were from Indonesia and Malaysia while others came from the Arab World, particularly from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. From the 59 “watch-listed” FTFs, some are suspected to be coming from Europe, North Africa, and even from Xinjiang Province of China.

FTFs come to the Philippines to facilitate transfer of funds and weapons to local supporters, to conduct violent extremist propaganda activities, and to transfer skills in religious jihad.[17] FTFs also regard the Philippines as an alternative home base, a new land of jihad, and a very excellent sanctuary or safe haven because of domestic Muslim resistance, weak law enforcement, and very porous borders. More importantly, their local counterparts welcome the entry of FTFs despite their recent setbacks in Iraq and Syria.

FTFs can enter the Philippines through several backdoors from Sabah covering the maritime borders of the Philippines and Malaysia and from Manado covering the maritime borders of the Philippines and Indonesia.[18] But most of the FTFs have entered the Philippines through normal immigration process at the Philippine airports using budget airlines. 

Source: PIPVTR, August 2020

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, threats of violent extremism and terrorism in the Philippines persist through the continuing activities of ISIS followers operating in the country. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed the entry of FTFs to the Philippines, those who are already in the country continue to spread the ideology of violent extremism that encourages ISIS followers to commit various acts of terrorism, especially suicide terrorism.

Suicide terrorism is the current face of terror in the Philippines. ISIS is taking advantage of the pandemic to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and to support acts of terrorism in the Philippines by funding, training, and mobilizing pro-ISIS groups in the country.

In short, the Philippines is confronting the challenges of the twin pandemics from COVID-19 and ISIS. Overcoming these challenges needs an innovative countermeasure that is dynamic, comprehensive, holistic, inclusive and lawful.

[This paper was originally prepared for presentation at the Online Seminar Workshop on Conflict Monitoring and Research Methodologies for Population-Based Studies About Conflict, Terrorism and Peace and Development Initiatives organized by the Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City on 10 August 2020.]

[About the author: Dr. Rommel C. Banlaoi is the Chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (www.pipvtr.org) and a Professorial Lecturer at the Department of International Studies, Miriam College, the Philippines. He is also the President of the Philippine Society for Intelligence and Security Studies]

[Source: This article was published by PIVTR]

END NOTES

1. Bureau of Counterterrorism, Country Reports on Terrorism (Washington DC: US State Department, June 2020), p. 2.

2. Ibid.

3. Joseph Hincks, “With the World Busy Fighting COVID-19, Could ISIS Mount A Resurgence?”, Time, 29 April 2020.

4. Rommel C. Banlaoi, “Tackling the ASG: Need to Rethink Strategies,” RSIS Commentaries (Singapore: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 8 May 2020). https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/tackling-abu-sayyaf-need-to-rethink-strategies/

5. Ibid.

6. Global Terrorism Index 2019: Measuring the Impact of Terrorism (Sydney: Institute for Economics and Peace, November 2019).

7. Rommel C. Banlaoi, “Terrorism In The Philippines During The Pandemic: Persistent Threats Three Years After Marawi Siege,” Eurasia Review, 15 May 2020. https://www.eurasiareview.com/15052020-terrorism-in-the-philippines-during-the-pandemic-persistent-threats-three-years-after-marawi-siege-analysis/

8. This section is an updated version of Rommel C. Banlaoi, “Three Years After Marawi Siege: Terrorism in the Philippines Persist Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic”, Think Pieces (Cotabato City: Institute for Autonomy and Governance, 22 May 2020) at http://iag.org.ph/think/1888-three-years-after-marawi-siege-terrorism-in-the-philippines-persists-amidst-covid-19-pandemic.


9. Peter Chalk, “The Islamic State in the Philippines: A Looming Shadow in Southeast Asia?”, CTC Sentinel, Vol. 8, Issue No. 2, March 2016.

10. Rommel C. Banlaoi, Al-Harakatul Al=Islamiyyah: Essays on the Abu Sayyaf Group, Terrorism in the Philippines from Al-Qaeda to ISIS, 4th Edition (Quezon City: Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, 2019).

11. Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC), “BIFF/ISEA Unit Jamaah Mohajirin Wal Ansar”, 16 September 2018.

12. “Nilong Group Tagged behind GenSan Blast,” Mindanews, 19 September 2018.

13. “Philippines: Islamic State-Linked Terrorist Group Reportedly Plotting Attacks Against Northern Targets”, Stratfor Situation Report, 7 August 2019 at https://worldview.stratfor.com/situation-report/philippines-islamic-state-linked-terrorist-group-reportedly-plotting-attacks

14. Zam Yusa, “Philippines: 100 foreign fighters joined ISIS in Mindanao since the Marawi battle,” The Defense Post, 5 November 2018.

15. Raul Dancel, “Foreign terrorists in Mindanao training suicide bombers: Philippine security officials,” The Strait Times, 23 July 2019.

16 Zam Yusa, “Philippines military photos show children among ISIS foreign fighters killed in Marawi,” The Defense Post, 25 October 2018.

17. National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, “Terrorism Situation in Relation to the Threats of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” 2 March 2020.

18. Zam Yusa, “Malaysia and Indonesia foreign fighter transit routes to Philippines identified,” The Defense Post, 20 November 2018.


[PIPVTR: The Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) aims to promote the principle of non-violence by conducting rigorous investigative studies and peace research to understand the pathologies of terrorism in the Philippines.]

https://www.eurasiareview.com/10082020-philippines-threats-of-violent-extremism-and-terrorism-amidst-covid-19-pandemic-analysis/

NDF/Sison: Condemnation of the murder of Randall Echanis

Posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Aug 10, 2020): Condemnation of the murder of Randall Echanis

By Jose Maria Sison, NDFP Chief Political Consultant

NDFP Peace Consultant Randall Echanis / JonB
In the strongest terms, I condemn the murder of Randall (Randy) Echanis and his neighbor who were unarmed. Randall was a peaceful social activist. He was a mild-mannered man of 71 years. He had a consistent modest personality with a high level of education and intellect. He had long dedicated himself to his social advocacy and had made tremendous sacrifices for many decades.

He was outstanding as an advocate of genuine land reform, rural development and national industrialization. He was the National Chairperson of the Anakpawis Party List and Deputy Secretary General of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and was a leading consultant of the NDFP on agrarian reform and member of the NDFP Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms. He played a key role in the drafting of documents on agrarian reform and rural development and the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Reforms.

Even after the termination of the peace negotiations by Duterte, Randall was supposed to enjoy the protection of the safety and immunity provisions of the JASIG just like all the other negotiators, consultants and staff of the GRP and NDFP in the peace negotiations. Duterte and his gang of butchers are truly monstrous for murdering the unarmed Randall and his neighbor.

It is widely known that the DILG secretary Ano has been boasting to his staff and other people that he has mapped out the locations of all social activists through the local governments and neighborhoods and that he can wipe them out the social activists anytime. This boasting of Ano is taken seriously by all the social activists that he threatens to kill.

With the murder of Randall and his neighbor, the Duterte gang of butchers has aroused the indignation and just wrath of the peasant masses and the entire Filipino people. All social activists have no choice but to intensify in every necessary way their struggle against the tyrant, traitor, butcher and plunderer Duterte.

The murder of Randall and his neighbor will have far reaching consequences towards the intensification of the Filipino people’s struggle for national and social liberation against the evil Duterte regime and the unjust ruling system of big compradors, landlords and corrupt officials who are servile to foreign monopoly capitalism.###

https://ndfp.org/condemnation-of-the-murder-of-randall-echanis/